Home Improvement: Remodeling Bathrooms

My husband is a remodeling contractor. I make my living as an interior designer. This combination allows us to do some work together on remodeling jobs. We both agree that remodeling bathrooms is the project we least like to do. The reason is that in remodeling bathrooms there are so many variables, even though it is the smallest room in the home.

Remodeling bathrooms is time consuming, costly and inconvenient for the home owner. This combination does not usually make for a happy customer. The other factor that makes remodeling bathrooms difficult is that people spend so much time in them that they notice even the tiniest of flaws. When working with tile and grouting and cramped painting quarters there are bound to be some flaws, no matter how careful the craftsman is, but this is hard for the home owner to accept when the cost of the make over is so high.

I have decided that in remodeling bathrooms I am only going to get involved in projects where the entire room is being gutted. In this kind of project the painting or wallpapering goes much easier because there is not the task of trying to reach behind the toilet or edge in along a vanity. Also the finished product has a much better appearance if all the fixtures are installed at the same time. By gutting the room you can actually save money because the plumbers and electricians do not have to try to work around existing fixtures.

The main thing I tell customers with remodeling bathrooms is to add 7 days onto any time estimates that they have received. By doing this I help alleviate the frustrations that are felt when the project runs over time and they get a pleasant surprise if it does not. I also encourage families to develop a bathroom use plan during the remodeling project. The reason for this is that by having one bathroom in a home out of service someone’s routine is most likely going to change. By having a plan the household will function better. It amazes me that some people are surprised to find out that most times the room is unusable while remodeling bathrooms.

Remodeling bathrooms can be time consuming and inconvenient. But a bathroom that has been remodeled well will add beauty and value to your home. A newly remodeled bathroom is always a very strong selling point for an existing home. Adding additional bathrooms also greatly increases a homes value. Multiple bathrooms are something that people like to have for daily convenience as well as convenience when entertaining guests.